Fедorov after dismissal tries to convince Musk to help Ukraine — The Atlantic

After his dismissal, former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov continues informal contacts with Elon Musk, trying to expand the capabilities of using the Starlink satellite system in the interests of Ukrainian defense.

This is reported by The Atlantic with reference to two interlocutors close to Fedorov in Kyiv.

According to the publication, Ukraine is interested in using SpaceX capabilities to counter Russian units that launch ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously discussed this issue with U.S. President Donald Trump and asked him to influence Musk. Trump, as The Atlantic claims, did not give a definite answer.

The Atlantic writes that after his dismissal, Fedorov is trying to maintain dialogue with Musk through informal channels. One of the publication's interlocutors close to the former minister said that a positive decision has not yet been made. According to him, Musk fears further escalation of the war and in conversations with the Ukrainian side advocates reaching an agreement with Russia. SpaceX and Musk himself did not respond to journalists' requests.

Before his dismissal, Fedorov was considered one of the key representatives of the Ukrainian government who maintained working relations with the founder of SpaceX. In January 2026, the Verkhovna Rada appointed him Minister of Defense; 277 MPs voted for this decision.

According to The Atlantic, Fedorov's contacts with Musk had previously been used to solve problems related to Starlink. At the beginning of 2026, the Ukrainian side discovered that Russian troops were using terminals of the satellite system to control their drones. After Fedorov's appeal, SpaceX limited the ability of Russian forces to use Starlink in this way, while the Ukrainian military retained access to the system on the territory of Ukraine, including the occupied areas.

Even before his dismissal, Fedorov also tried to convince Musk to allow wider use of Starlink by Ukrainian drones. One of The Atlantic's interlocutors claimed that Musk then admitted such a possibility on the condition of a corresponding decision by Trump. After the personnel changes, the negotiations were interrupted, but now the former minister, according to the publication, is trying to resume them.

Kyiv's interest in this issue has increased against the backdrop of a lack of means to counter Russian ballistic missiles. The Atlantic reports that at a recent meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump, the U.S. president did not agree to provide additional Patriot systems and refused to confirm the previously discussed possibility of their production by Ukrainian companies.

At the same time, there is currently no official decision from SpaceX to change the terms of use of Starlink for such tasks. Information about Fedorov's negotiations with Musk is based on The Atlantic's sources and has not been publicly confirmed by the parties.

Based on materials from: The Atlantic